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Kids Talk: 1 Samuel 17 (Big Bible Adventure #45)

What are the following people afraid of if they have the following? [Acrophobia = Heights; Arachnophobia = Spiders; Myctophobia = Dark; Coulrophobia = Clown; Gigantasophobia = Tall People].

The people of Israel in the next part of the Big Bible Adventure were gigantasophobic.

They were at war with the Philistines, but before any fighting started, the Philistine army sent forward their best man to issue a challenge to the Israelites.

A one on one fight to the death. If the Israelite solider wins, the Philistines would be the Israelite’s slaves, and if the Philistine soldier wins, the Israelite’s would be the Philistines slaves. Sounds straightforward doesn’t it.

The only problem was that none of the Israelites wanted to take on the Philistine’s best soldier. King Saul didn’t want to. His best soldiers didn’t want to. In fact no-one in the Israelite army wanted to. They were scared, afraid, frightened, petrified, of the Philistines best solider – they were gigantasophobic!

“A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall.” (1 Samuel 17:4)

He wore big, heavy armour covering his legs and chest. He had a bronze helmet on his head. He carried a big sword and spear. No wonder none of the Israelites wanted to fight him.

For 40 days, morning and evening, Goliath issued this challenge, for someone to take him on in a fight.

One day Jesse sent David to the battlefield to take to his brothers who were in the army some food. While he was there, Goliath issues his challenge.

When David heard what Goliath had said he was not afraid, he was angry. “How dare he make fun of God’s army? How dare he make fun of God?” David loved God and there was no way he was going let Goliath get away with saying those things.

So David went to Saul and said that he would fight Goliath. Saul wasn’t so sure, he thought David didn’t have a chance and was worried that he and all the Israelites would end up as Philistine slaves. David told King Saul about how he had fought lions and bears and God had kept him safe. David knew that just as the God had been with him then, He would be with him now.

Saul tried to dress David up as a soldier but David said he couldn’t wear this stuff. Instead David took five smooth stones from a brook, and with his sling in hand went out to face Goliath, trusting that God would be with him and give him the victory.

You can imagine the scene. Big heavily armoured giant Goliath looking down at this young lad with what looked like no armour and no weapons. In fact Goliath started laughing and making fun of David.

He said to Goliath: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” (1 Samuel 17:45)

After he had said these words, David ran towards Goliath, put a stone into his sling and flung it at Goliath. Straight into the giants forehead it went and Goliath fell to the ground. David then took Goliath’s sword and chopped off the giants head.

David showed he loved God, and God had saved his people in an amazing way. This wasn’t the only way David showed that he loved God too.